Method and apparatus for inserting a pouring pipe into a mold of a

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for inserting a pouring pipe into a mold of a continuous casting machine. The pouring pipe is mounted in a truck, and the truck and pouring pipe combination are then mounted on a conveyor mechanism such that the pouring pipe is set in a substantially horizontal starting position. From this substantially horizontal starting position, the pouring pipe is guided along a pair of guide rails of the conveyor mechanism such that is pivots into a substantially vertical position and is moved into a waiting position wherein its lower end is inserted into the mold. In this waiting position, the pouring pipe is offset laterally from but aligned with a casting opening in the bottom wall of the metallurgical vessel. From this waiting position, the pouring pipe can be forced by a pusher mechanism into a pouring position beneath the casting opening of the metallurgical vessel, such that molten metal can be poured from the metallurgical vessel into the mold via a pouring pipe. This procedure can be repeated by moving a new pouring pipe into the waiting position, after a pouring pipe in the waiting position has been moved from the waiting position into the pouring position, thereby displacing the eroded pouring pipe from the pouring position into a discharge position from which it can be removed from the continuous casting machine.